Auxiliary tag feeding magazine for printing presses



C. E. ZOOK Sept. 9, 1958 V AUXILIARY TAG FEEDING MAGAZINE FoR PRINTINGPRESSES Filed 0G13. 22, 1956 '5 Sheets-Sheet 1 xk w o m m n 0. W A z. nR: rl.. m r E E w 4b ma m, QN 1 A o w i l ma# .mk v

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..1551 iin I I n C. E. ZOOK sept. 9, 195s AUXILIARY TAG FEEDING MAGAZINEFOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed oct. 22.1956

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BY @ou sept; 9, 195s 2,851,269

AUXILIARY TAG FEEDING MAGAZINE FOR PRINTING PRESSES v C. E. ZOOK 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed OCT.. 22, 1956 kR.. Zw .N El I U c n .mi

My invention relates lto auxiliary tag feeding magazines for feedingshippingt'ags ofcorniilece in a pack seriatim to the suction feed `arm'of printing presses 'of 'the Kluge type, especially, although not'e'c'essarily,` 'such presses being 'exemplified as a type in U. S.Patent Nos. "1,694,015 v and 2,088,377 to A. VKluge et al. and datedDecember 4, 1928 and July 27, 1937, respectively.

By way, of premise, it isV the practice in such presses to feed a packof sheets on edge, one behind aither, upwardly and forwardly on a stockfeed magaine table in a straight line to position the 'sheets in a feedplane at the front of the pack parallel with across suction arm StatesPatent on a suction feed arm for feeding frorna feed plane to the pressby said feed arm.

However, shipping tags, because'they are equipped with a grommet in oneend thereof and must be fed to the press with their -grommetequippedends at the same side of the pack, will not lie at against each other ina pack, because their gromme't-equipped ends space the tags apartfurther at said ends than at theirother ends. Therefore, such ytagscannot be yfed like sheets by the usual means for positioning the tagssuccessively in a feed plane parallel with the cross suction arm of thesuction feed arm. g p k Having the foregoing in mind, it -is the primaryobject of my invention to provide a tagV feeding Imagazine equipped withmeans for feeding a pack of such shipping tags, one behind the other,into the proper feed plane relative to the cross suction yarm,notwithstanding spacing ofthe tags in the pack further apart at Ytheirgrommetequipped ends than at their other ends.

Another object is to accomplish the foregoing by feeding a pack ofshipping tagsr in fanwise arrangement-to compensate for furtherspacingapart of their grommetequipped ends than their other ends and inyan arcuate path to position tags at the front of the pack in the properfeed plane.

Still another object is to provide in conjunction with the foregoing anarcuately swingable follower arm for feeding the pack of tags in anarcuate path into the proper feed plane to compensate for their fanwisearrangement and further spacing apart of t-he grommetequipped ends thanthe other ends in the pack.

Yet another object is to povide for 'driving the f'ollower arm by meansof the conventional stock feed magazine drive shaft and theintermittent, step-by-step ratchet and pawl drive shaft operating meansof such presses and which operates under control of the sensing means ofthe presses.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully heeinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and 4in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the auxiliary tag feeding magazine in thepreferred embodiment thereof,

2,851,269v Patented Sept. V9, 1958 Figure 2 is a view in front elevationof the same;

Figure 3jis a view in side elevation of the same;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in Vertical section vtaken. on the line4-4 of Figure 1 and with parts elimiated to avoid confusion andillustrating parts of the ratchet and pawl drive shaft operating meansof the press and parts of the sensing means;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken on the sameline of Figure 1 as Figure 4 `and further illustra'ting the ratchet andpawl drive shaft operating means and parts of the sensing means;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation illustrating how thesuction arm operatesv in the press for feeding;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in vertical, longitudinal section takenon lthe line 7 7 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a perspective View drawn to a smaller scale of Vone of theshipping tags; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary enlarged View in vertical longitudinal sectiontaken on the line 9 9 of Figure l.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, and rst briey to the parts of theKluge type of press with which my invention is" especially concerned,this type of lpress includes a sheet feed table 1 forming part of asheet feed magazine of the press and which inclines forwardly andupwardly relative to the press platen, not shown, and has right and leftsides 3, 5, right and left upstanding frames 7, 9 at said sides, and afront edge 11. A subjacent bracket 13 under the right side of the table1 supports said table.

A horizontal drive shaft 15 forming part of the sheet feeding magazineof the press extends along the front edge 11 of said table above saidedge and is journaled through the side frames 7, 9. The drive shaft 15is driven intermittently, stepby-^step, clockwise as viewed in Figures land 2 by an intermittent ratchet and pawl drive comprising thefollowing.

A rocker plate 17 rotatable on the drive shaft 15 at the left side 5 ofthe table 1is rocked clockwise and' counterclockwise by a verticallyreciprocating rod 19 operatively connected to said plate as at 21. Apivoted, gravity drive pawl 23 on the rocker plate 17 normally engages aratchet wheel 25 fast on said shaft 15 and moves the shaft 15 clockwisewhen the rocker plate 17 is rocked clockwise. A spring press pivotedholding pawl 27 on a relatively fixed bracket 29 normally engages andprevents reverse rotation of said wheel 25 and shaft 15.

A circular, circumferentially flanged pawl releasing plate 31, havingslots 33, 35 in its flange 37 through which the pawls 23, 27 work, isrotatable on the shaft 15 so that said flange disengages said pawls 23,27 to permit of reverse rotation of the shaft 15 by a hand crank 33thereon and for a purpose presently apparent. A weighted hand lever 39on the pivot 41 of the pawl 27 holds said pawl 27 engaged. A slot andpin connection 43, 45 between said lever39 and plate 31 provides forrotating said plate 31 into'pawl releasing position by operation of thelever 39.

The Kluge type press further includes a suction feed aim 47 and asensing control for the shaft 15. The suction feed arm 47 has a crossarm 49 with suction tips thereon, as at 51, and is oscillat'ably mountedto pick off` the front sheets, or the like, of a .pack fed on edge up to'the front edge 11 of the table 1 into a feed plane parallel with saidcross arm 49, all as described in detail in Patent No. 2,088,377 to A.Kluge et al. and to which reference may be had for a full disclosure ofthe suction feed and The sensing control comprises a rock shaft 53journaled ,inA the frames 7, 9 abve the drive shaft 15 and having asensing arm 55 depending therefrom, a spring tension crank arm 57 onsaid shaft tensioned by a spring 54 whereby said rock shaft is normallyurged clockwise as viewed in Figure 2 to swing the sensing armrearwardly clockwise over the table 1, a weighted pivoted drive pawldisengaging arm 59 on the plate 17 normally disengaging said drive pawl23, as shown in Figure 4, and operating pin and slot lost motionconnections 61, 63 between said plate 17 and the crank arm 57, allforming the subject matter of Patent No. 1,694,015 to A. Kluge et al.,previously noted, and to which no claim per se is made herein. Sufficeit to explain that the sensing arm 57 moves rearwardly, as shown inFigure in the Kluge press, each time the stack is depleted at its frontend, and when said stack has been depleted by a certain number, thesensing arm then swings the drive pawl disengaging arm 59 so that thedrive pawl 23 can engage the ratchet wheel to cause operation of thedrive shaft 15 for feeding a front'sheet in the stack into the feedingplane, and as the pack is thus fed, the sensing arm is swung forwardlyto cause the drive pawl to be disengaged to stop the feed when thedepleted pack has been fed to position a front sheet into the feedingplane. Also, the sensing arm 55 is swung forwardly and spaced from thepack, as shown in Figure 4, out of interference with operation of thesuction arm 47 when said arm operates for feeding, all as described inthe aforesaid Patent No. 1,694,015.

My auxiliary tag feeding magazine comprises a fiat deck panel fittingflatly on the table 1 between the frames 7, 9 to incline upwardly andforwardly like the table 1. The deck panel 75 is provided with right andleft, front, upper corners 77, 79 projecting forwardly of the front edge11 of the table 1 and with a rectangular front notch 81 between saidcorners into which shipping tags may drop off the panel 75 onto thetable to be fed therefrom by the suction feed arm 47. Otherwise than asdescribed, the deck panel 75 may be of any desired shape. The deck panel75 is detachably secured to the table 1 by a threaded hook 85 extendingthrough said corner 79 and which hooks over the front edge of the table1 and is provided with a tightening nut 87 threaded thereon, said deckpanel being further secured to the table 1 by a single screw 89extending through the panel 75 and through the table 1.

Surmounting the deck panel 75 is a flat band arcuate guide bar 91 whichcurves upwardly from one side, a right side 94, of said panel 75 intooverlying relation to the notch 81 for guiding a pack of shipping tagsin an arcuate path laterally and upwardly to position the front tag inthe feeding plane when said pack is fed by means presently described,and the pack of tags 93 is positioned edgewise on said panel 75 infanwise position with the grommet-equipped ends 95 thereof restingagainst the guide bar 91, as shown in Figure l.

The pack feeding means comprises a follower arm 97 pivotally mounted forswinging laterally and upwardly of the panel 75 from a starting positionabout an axis normal to said panel 75 to feed the pack of tags 93. Thefollower arm 97 comprises a driving arm section 99 fixed on the bottomof a bevel gear 101 rotatable on a stud 103 fixedly extending upwardlythrough the panel 75 and at a normal angle thereto. A washer 105 on saidstud 103 spaces said arm section 99 from the panel 75.

The arm section 99 carries an adjustable arm section 107 provided with arectangular follower plate 109 fixed thereto, as by lug bolts 111, andhaving suitably fixed thereto as at 112 a rectangular pusher plate 113adapted to push against the pack of tags 93. The follower plate 109 isprovided with a front booster leaf spring 114 acting through a notch 115in the pusher plate 113 against a rear tag 93 of the pack to preventsaid rear vtag from adhering to the pusher plate 113. The adjustable armsection 107 is pivoted by a screw 118 to the arm section 99 for swingingadjustment to adjust the pusher plate into 4 radial position to theguide bar 91 for the following reasons.

The guide bar 91 is adjustably mounted for flexing to vary its arc ofcurvature for guiding packs of tags 93 of different sizes in arcuatepaths and maintain it in its different adjustments substantiallyconcentric to the axis of swinging movement of the follower arm 97, andfor proper feeding of the pack of tags 93, the pusher plate 113 shouldbe adjustedV substantially radially of the guide bar 91 in the differentarcuate adjustments of said bar for swinging by the follower arm 97 inan arcuate path substantially concentric to the guide bar 91.

For adjustably mounting the guide bar 91, it is bolted adjacent itsends, as at 116, 118 to a pair of longitudinally slotted, lateral bars117, 119 at the front and rear of the panel 75. The rear bar 117 isslidably and pivotably adjustable on a threaded stud 121 extendingupwardly from the panel 75 through the slot 123 in said rear bar, thestud 121 being provided with clamping nuts 125 thereon for securing saidbar 117 in adjusted position. The front bar 119 is lonigtudinally,slidably adjustable on a pair of threaded studs 127, 129 extendingupwardly from the panel 75 through the slot 131 in said bar 119, saidstuds 127, 129 being provided with clamping nuts 133, for retaining saidbar 119 in adjusted position.

The drive shaft 15 is drivingly connected to bevel gear 101 for swingingthe follower arm 97 by the following means. A driven shaft 137 at theupper right hand corner 77 of the panel 75 is journaled parallel withsaid drive shaft 15 in a bearing 139 on the panel 75. A bevel gearpinion 141 fast on one end of the driven shaft 137 meshes with the bevelgear 101. A sprocket and chain drive 143 connects one end of the driveshaft 15 with the other end of the driven shaft 137 for a one to oneratio of drive from the shaft 15 to the shaft 137.

A spring wire tag hold-down and stop member 145 extends forwardly overthe panel 75 diagonally over thc pack of tags to prevent upwarddisplacement of said tags at one end of the tags. The member 145includes a rear lonigtudinally slotted bar 147 pivotably and slidablymounted on a stud 149 rising from the rear portion of the panel 75 andextending through the slot 151 in the bar 147, the stud 149 beingprovided with clamping nuts 153 thereon for holding the bar 147 andhence the member 145 in adjusted position. As will be seen, the holddownmember 145 is adjustable laterally and longitudinally as may be requiredfor tags of different sizes and said member is provided with a hookedfront stop end 155 for positioning in front of a front tag of the packat the feed plane, said stop end 155 being positioned at the upper edgeand at one side of the pack.

A curved resilient wire tag hold-down and stop member 157 extendsforwardly over the pack of tags 93 at the other side of the pack forholding down tags in the feed plane at the front of the pack, and,together with the member 145, holds down the front tags of the pack 93at top front corners of said front tags. The member 157 has adown-turned front stop end 159 for the front tag in the pack and isclamped on the stud 129 by collar 161 and a wing nut 163 on said stud129.

Two resilient wire stop members 165, 167 are provided at opposite sidesof the pack of tags 93 for engaging the ends of the front tag of thepack below the ends 155, 159 of the members 145, 157 for coaction withsaid ends 155, 159 to yieldingly hold the front tag of the pack 93 inthe feed plane.

The stop members curve forwardly laterally over the front tag 93 fromstud 127 on which it is swingably adjustably mounted by a clampingcollar 169 anda wing nut 171 for variably positioning in front of thefront tag.

The stop member 167 curves forwardly and is provided with a hooked frontstop end 173 and is mounted opposite the front end 175 of the guide bar91 to form a second guide coacting with the front end 175 of the guidebar 91 to confine the tags 93 at the front end of the pack againstdisplacement endwise. The member 167 is attached by a screw 177 to ahorizontal slotted arm 179 swingably and longitudinally adjustablymounted on an angularly related arm 181 by a screw 183 extending throughthe slot 185 in the arm 179. The arm 181 has a longitudinal slot 187straddling the stud 103 and is clamped on said stud by clamp nuts 189.

The operation of my auxiliary tag feeding magazine will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing and the following further explanationthereof. To load the auxiliary magazine, the follower arm 97 is swungclockwise as viewed in Figure 1 to extend rearwardly of the deck panel75, as regards its front edge, and to set and position the pusher plate113 adjacent the right side 94 of said panel 75. This is accomplished byoperating the drive shaft 15 by the hand crank 38 reversely, that is,counter-clockwise as viewed in Figures 1 and 3, whereby, through thedescribed driving connections from the shaft 15 to the bevel gear 101,said gear 101 is driven clockwise as viewed in Figures 1 and 6 tocorrespondingly operate the follower arm 97 clockwise. The pack of tags93 is then loaded on edge on the panel 75 in front of the pusher plate113 and in the fanwise position, with grommet-equipped ends engaging theguide bar 91, all as previously described and as shown in Figure 1. Now,in response to intermittent drive of the drive shaft 15, clockwise asviewed in Figures 1 and 3, by the previously described ratchet and pawldrive means, the bevel gear 101 will be intermittently drivencounterclockwise as viewed in Figures 1 and 3 to correspondingly drivethe follower arm 97 so that the pusher plate 113 will intermittentlypush the pack of tags 93 in the previously described arcuate path up thedeck panel 75 until the tags 93 are positioned seriatim against the stopends 155, 159, 173 of the members 145, 157, 167 and against the stopmember 165 to be yieldingly held thereby in the feed plane for feed bythe suction feed arm 47 to the press, not shown. When the foremost tagis in the feed plane, the operation of the drive shaft 15 is stopped tostop feed of the pack of tags 93, and as the pack is depleted at itsfront of a certain number of tags, the drive shaft 15 resumes itsoperation under control of the sensing means, all in a manner which willbe clear from the foregoing description of parts and the beforementioned U. S. Patent No. 1,694,015.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be,resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. The combination with a table of a printing press having a front edgeand adapted to support tags on edge in a substantially vertical feedplane for feeding olf said table, a drive shaft journaled in said tableand extending along and above said front edge, drive means for saiddrive shaft, and suction feed means for feeding the tags successivelyoff said table when positioned in said feed plane, of a deck panelattached on said table and adapted to support a pack of tags on edge forfeed of the pack over said panel forwardly of the table to position thetags in the pack successively in said feed plane, means -on said panelfor guiding the pack in an arcuate path during feed thereof, pivotedfollower means operative in an arcuate path for feeding the stack,yielding stop means carried by said panel for engaging the tagssuccessively to establish the feed plane, and operating connectionsbetween said drive shaft and said follower means.

2. The combination of claim 1, said means for guiding the packcomprising an arcuate guide bar surmounting said panel and mountedthereon.

3. The combination of claim l, said pivoted follower means comprising afollower arm swingable concentrically of said guide bar and having apusher plate fixed thereto.

4. The combination of claim l, said yielding stop means comprising aplurality of resilient wire members engaging the tags at top edges andends of the tags.

5. The combination of claim l, said operating connections comprising abevel gear rotatably mounted on said panel and having said arm fixedthereto, and a drive pinion for Said gear to which said drive shaft isoperatively connected.

6. The combination of claim 2, said guide bar being resilient andadjustably mounted on said panel for flexing to vary its arc ofcurvature for guiding packs of tags in different arcuate paths accordingto their size.

7. The combination of claim 5, the wire members engaging the tags on thetop edges overlying the pack to hold said pack down on the panel.

8. The combination with a table of a printing press having a front `edgeand adapted to support tags on edge in a substantially vertical feedplane for feeding oi said table, a drive shaft journaled in said tableand extending along and above said front edge, drive means for saiddrive shaft, and suction feed means for feeding the tags successivelyohc said table when positioned in said feed plane, of a deck panelattached on said table and adapted to support a pack of tags on edge forfeed of the pack over said panel forwardly of the table to position thetags in the pack successively in said feed plane, means on said panelfor guiding the pack in an arcuate path during feed thereof,'pivotedfollower means operative in an arcuate path for feeding the stack, andoperating connections between said drive shaft and said follower means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,527,030 Delamere et al. Feb. 17, 1925 2,760,701 Phelps Aug. 28, 19562,768,493 Holler Oct. 30, 1956

